It wasn't my choice to be this way
by ieevee
Summary: Inuyasha is very severely disabled, in a wheelchair, can't talk or do practically anything. And so are his friends, who are in the same special school as he is. Inuyasha's family are living it hard, even Sesshomaru has to do his share of taking care of his little brother.
1. Just a Normal Day

Okay now, if you think it is funny or ridiculous that Inuyasha is disabled, dont comment. I have been in a special school for some time, and I can tell you there is nothing funny in those people there in their wheelchairs.

This fic will be short. I'd say max. 3 chapters.

Chapter 1 – Just a normal day

Life sure wasn't easy in this family. The family included father Inutaisho, mother Izayoi, older child Sesshomaru and younger child Inuyasha. Both boys were somewhat a bit defferent from others. And how?

Sesshomaru was clearly emotionless, as unsympathetic as possible, cold, withdrawn, now an adult man. He was very intelligent and very good at school, but he had never had a single friend. He was inexpressive and not of a very talkative kind. Now he was 25 years old, still living home with his family in a big apartment house at Tokyo's border. He studied in his room all day, coming for lunch and dinner, and for some coffee breaks. Of course he did do some chores, went to the grocery store and so on.

Then there was Inuyahsa, the family's despair. He was severely disabled.

He could do absolutely nothing by himself. Not dress up, not sit up nor move barely at all. He couldn't talk, only let out some vague mumbling and whimper like a puppy. But one thing he could do was to smile and laugh. But that was not even daily. The usual look on his face was blank, maybe a little sad, like he was asking 'why?'. Inuyasha was 10 years younger than his big brother. Inuyasha was now 14, but would turn soon 15.

To crown all, Inuyasha had severe epilepsy. Because of that, he had a surgery at 10 years of age. It helped a little, but the seizures are still there. And one year ago, last christmas, Inuyasha underwent a scoliosis surgery.

Sometimes Izayoi and Inutaisho felt hopeless, pointless. Was there no end to the neverending hospital-medicine-surgery-theraphy spiral? The neurologist, who took care of Inuyasha, said no, children like this don't live at home. They should consider institutional care. But his parents refused. The only way to keep Inuyasha home was that either of the parents took care of him every day. Well, it wouldn't be very challenging, because Inuyasha was at school every weekday, so that Izayoi had some time to rest. And they had no real money problems, as Inutaisho's salary was good. So they both decided that Inuyasha will stay home.

Morning came. Mom Izayoi knocked Inuyasha's room's door. The room was pretty small. There was this hospital bed, which was filled with stuffed toys. Next to his bed was a drip stand with a feeding pump. Then there was one armchair if someone wanted to comfort or just keep company at Inuyasha.

"Knock knock, can I come?" she asked and walked next to Inuyasha's bed, put it's railing down, reached over Inuyasha, who lied of the bed on his back to open the window blinds. Sunbeams lit up the room.

"Look, Inuyasha. The sun is shining and the snowdrift shines. A beautiful winter's day", mom smiled. "Now mom will wash you a little and then we'll dress up."

Inuyasha lied still on his bed and mom washed him with a warm, wet towel. Before dressing him up, she put a diaper on him. Then it was time to put on clothes – a black T-shirt and loose, grey pants. She couldn't really know for sure, but she thought Inuyasha would like to dress up like a normal teenager. Maybe he was happy about these clothes, maybe he didn't even understand what he was wearing.

"All right, Inuyasha. Now mom will put you in your wheelchair", she said and grabbed the boy one arm under his armpits, other from his knees. "Aaaand... Hopp!"

This, putting Inuyasha from the bed to wheelchair and back, was just getting harder by day, because Inuyasha was just the size of another young teenage boy, and while being maybe somewhat thin, he did weigh almost too much for his mom. Now, in the morning and after Inuyasha's schoolday Izayoi took care of these things, when Inutaisho got home from work, he took care of them. It was very easy for him – he was a full youkai after all.

Inuyasha llied in his wheelchair with a vacant expression. And so...

"You know what, Inuyasha", mom said. "Today might be the last day when I carry you to bed. You are getting such a big boy that I'm getting to weak for it!"

Iuyasha let out a sound like a slimy grunt.

"So, daddy will bring us a little gift when he comes back from work. You'll have to wait until that", she smiled. "But now mom will make sure you won't fall off your wheelchair." And so she fastened the wheelchair's safety belts around his lap and both thighs, two belts on his chest like car belts, and tightened the cushion-like footrests around his legs.

And so mom grabbed the wheelchair's handles, started pushing Inuyasha towards the kitchen and said. "Now we'll go for some morning coffee. And you can come give mom some company."

Izayoi carted Inuyasha with his wheelchair to the kitchen. She placed him in the middle on the kitchen and smiled.

"Now you can see, what happens around you."

Izayoi started brewing coffee.

"Do you like the smell of coffee? Do you?" she smiled. "Now mom will take some bread and cheese from here..." she said as she opened the larder.

"Aaaa..." Inuyasha mumbled as mom place the bread and toppings on the table.

While the coffee was brewing, mom walked out of the kitchen. Inuyasha followed her with his eyes and started whimpering a bit. Mom returned and poured the coffee in a cup.

"It's okay, I just went to get the daily newspaper", she said and pet the boy's head. She sat down at the table and started reading the news.

"So, let's see what's happening out there in the world."

"Anngh..." Inuyasha mumbled and slowly turned his head towards his mom.

"You are so cute when you smile", she stroke the boy's hand, smiling like the sun.

Suddenly Sesshomaru joined them in his morning gown. He also poured his share of the coffee in his cup and sat down at the table opposite of Izayoi. As he drank the coffee, he stared at his little brother. The boy stared at him with a uninspiring face.

From outside Sesshomaru might see like he hated his little brother, but that was not true. He thought it was more like sad than shameful to have a hanyou, severely disabled little brother. But really he thought it was more sad than disgraceful to think his brother was and will always be like that.

Sesshomaru drank his cup empty, washed and put it in the cupboard to dry.

"Have a nice day of studies!" Izayoi greeted, but Sesshomaru just walked away without saying anything.

When Izayoi had finished her coffee and bread, it was time to get Inuyasha dressed up in his outerwear. And why? Soon it would be time to go to school! But it sure was no normal school. All it's students had more or less special needs. From ADHD to CP, from mental retardation to severe disability. There weren't very many classroom in the school, and the classes were small, never over ten pupils. The classes weren't distributet by age, but what kind of disabilities they had. So there was an ADHD-class and so on. In Inuyasha's class there were four other pupils. They were all in wheelchair like him, none of them couldn't talk, walk or even stand.

Mom released the wheelchair's belts, lift Inuyasha to her car's backseat on Inuyasha's safety seat and fastened it's belts. Finally she put the wheelchair to the car's trunk. Then she sat down and grabbed the driver's wheel and strated the car.

"Now you'll go see some friends!"

The school wasn't that far. Izayoi parked the car in the inva parking place in front of the building, took the wheelchair out and carted it to Inuyasha's door. Again, Izayoi had to go the massive task to move Inuyasha to the wheelchair. But as the school's main door was only a few meters from them, she didn't fast any of Inuyasha's belts. He wouldn't fall in half a minute.

She locked the car's door and pushed Inuyasha trough the squeking snow through the schoolyard. As they reached the door Izayoi rang the doorbell. Soon a smiling woman, one of the school helpers, came and opened the door.

"Well well, who's there?" she smiled while crouching on the same level as Inuyasha's eyes. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Hhhrah..." Inuyasha smiled a bit, baring hin fangs.

"That's a good smile you've got", she smiled.

Izayoi was about to leave..

"Mom will come back to get you in the afternoon. Have a nice schoolday!"

And so the school helper started taking off Inuyasha's hat, winter coat and, mittens and winter trousers. She corrected the boy's posture in his wheelchair a bit and finally carted him into class 2. That was the class for severely disabled pupils, for the most disabled in the whole school. There were very different aged people in this class. The youngest was eight, oldest 17. So, who were these other pupils?

The youngest, baby-sized little boy was Shippo, severely CP- and mentally disabled. He couldn't move himself at all below his armpits, and his speech was very poor.

Sango was quite the same as Inuyasha. But unlike Inuyasha, she could move a bit. She was completely expressionless and hard to get connect to.

The oldest of the class was Miroku. He didn't talk either, and, like Sango, could move his limbs. But, unlike others, could eat by himself, or at least hold the spoon. Usually it still fell on floor, he most of the time he was fed by a nurse. He also showed some realization, as he could answer questions.

Koga was the best talker in the class. It wasn't like he let out normal words, but he always let out a moan when someone said something, anything to him. He also could move all his limbs, a bit uncontrollably though.

Of course the teaching in the severely disabled class was all different than in a normal school or even some other class in this school. So, in Inuyasha's school there were five pupils, special teachers and school helpers also five together. There was always someone next to a pupil.

Inuyasha was lying in his wheelchair with a blank face.

"Now, first I will recite a poem for you", a special teacher said.

"Most of the birds have gone away

On this cold, winter's day

But there is one bird I can see

Looking for something to eat

Little bird, I'll feed you

Till the cold, winter's through

And all your friends come back to play

On some bright and warm spring day!"

Inuyasha grinned a bit.

"Was it a nice poem?" the teacher smiled. "Now we will get to see the bird's nest live!" she said and tood a birds nest made of hay from her bag. She placed Inuyasha's hands on his wheelchair's table and and put the nest in his hands.

"Maybe some day we will see a real bird building a nest like this."

Inuyasha's smile didn't fade, but he didn't look in her eyes.

"Alright. Now we will do some schoolwork", the teacher announced. "When the answer to my question is 'yes', blink your eyes. If 'no', just keep a serious face. Can you do that, even though you're such a smiley boy?" And so the teacher took out a board of pictures and held it on the wheelchair's table.

"Now tell me, Inuyasha, what animal says 'meow'?" For a while it was quiet. "Well, is it a dog?" she asked and pointed at a pictue of a dog.

No kind of answer.

"Good, Inuyasha. It's not a dog. Well, is it a duck?"

No answer.

"Could it be a cat?"

Now Inuyasha stared smiling so that his fangs were bared, and he laughed out a but runny.

"Great! It's a cat! Cat says meow!"

"Nnngaa..." Inuyasha moaned and lift his right arm a little.

"There comes the beutiful sound", the teacher smiled. Inuyasha sounded again. "Yes, there it comes, beautiful voice..."

Next it was time for the almost daily music lesson. All the six pupils in their wheelchairs were put in a ring at the middle of the classroom, and one of the special teachers sat in the middle. The other teachers and school hepers were standing outside the ring with some instruments in their hands.

"Okay now. We will be playing together" the teacher in the middle of the ring announced. "I will play the drum, and you can join me and also sing!"

Of course she knew that none of the pupils would let out a sound.

And so the school helpers split around so that every pupil had someone helping by their side. B ut because Shippo and Koga could move their hands better than others, they shared a school helper.

"Here goes..." the teacher in the middle said, started playing the drum and sing":

"Hark! the herald angels sing,  
"Glory to the newborn King!"  
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,  
God and sinners reconciled  
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,  
Join the triumph of the skies..."

Inuyasha had been given a tambourine, and a teacher helped him play it by grabbing his wrist and pounded it for him. He smiled.

And, as actually always, Shippo was most excited about this. He had a small, egg shaped maraca in his tiny little hands. He shook it as fast as he could.

As in almost all other classes pupils were learning playing recorders or even guitar, in class 2 no-one could do better than percussion instruments; tambourines, maracas' and drums. But everyone enjoyed it.

Next it was time for personal therapy. There were three music therapists who went thorough the classroom, giving each pupil a short therapy sessions. Inuyasha had to wait for a while, but soon it was his turn.

"Dear Inuyasha, dear Inuyasha, it's nice to see you here", the therapeutist sang while playing a kantele. "Dear Inuyasha, dear Inuyasha, it's nice to see you..." she repeated. "Well, where are you?" Inuyasha gave no answer. "You're here at school!" she clapped her hands a few times. Inuyasha gave her his fang-bearing smile.

The therapeutist lift the kantele off her lap and put it down on Inuyasha's wheelchair's table.

"This is just the right size", she nodded and grabbed the boy's wrist, starting to play.

"Five little ducks went out one day  
Over the hill and far away...", she sang

"Aaannnnh..." Inuyasha laughed still smiling his fangs visible.

After this lesson it was time for a little afternoon nap, and for those in tube feeding, Inuyasha and Sango, it was lunchtime. So the feeing tubes would be soon connected on tubes in their stomach. Inuyasha's wheelchair's back was adjusted nether, and he had a drip stand next to him. There was a bag of nutrition fluid hanging from it, and a tube going through a pump before reaching Inuyasha's stomach. Only Inuyasha and Sango were tube-fed, others could eat normally, but with help.

There were lots of different people working in this school. Special teachers, school helpers, different types of therapeutists and practical nurses. The nurses took care of medications and feedings. Now there was a nurse standing next to Inuyasha, his personal nurse Chiaki. She was very slender and tall, and she was wearing sporty clothes. Now she was carrying a tray with a jar of medcine and a big, plastic syringe.

"Here you go, some epilepsy medicine." So she lift up the boy's shirt enough to reveal the feeding tube. She disconnected the feeding tube for the few seconds that the medicine's insertion took.

"Good! Then..." she said and re-connected the feeding tube. She pressed some of the pump's buttons, and before it started pumping the fluid, it beeped. "...Alright. Now you will go get some sleep, and when you wake up, your tummy will be full." Chiaki sroke Inuyasha's dog ears that were covered under his blue bandana with darker blue paw prints. Inuyasha smiled with his eyes half open and croaked quietly.

After the nap it was lunchtime for other pupils than Inuyasha and Sango. They could carry on sleeping for a little while.

"All right, Koga, open your mouth. Have some milk..." a nurse smiled and placed a sippy cup at the wolf boy's lips. He opened his mouth and started drinking slowly. Suddenly he started coughing hard, and so the nurse quickly took the sippy cup back and started petting his back. "Take your time, no hurry..."

Because Koga had been having some swallowing difficulties over a past few years, which were getting worse by day, it had been considered to put him a PEG-tube, the same feeding tube that Inuyasha and Sango had.

Miroku's feeding was the easiest in this class. Even now he was holding a plastic cup in his hand and drank with a straw. A nurse beside him smiled.

"Good, Miroku! What do you think, would it be time for a bit more solid food?"

Miroku didn't answer in any way, but still the nurse went to the school's kitchen to get a spaghetti bolognese -babyfood jar, since Miroku couldn't digest normal food. She warmed up the food in a microwave oven and sat by Miroku. She opened the jar and took a spooful of the food, placing it near his right hand.

"What do you think? Could you eat it by yourself?"

Slowly Miroku reached his hand to the spoon, and the further he got, the more his hand was shaking. And when he grabbed the spoon, it fell on floor.

"Whoops. Well, it's okay, I'll help you out."

When the lunch was finished and Inuyasha and Sango woken up, it was the time for something everyone in this school loved. You see, there was a pool in the school. Because there were five classes in this school, every class had a turn to get swimming once a week. And today it was class 2's turn. Five therapeutists led this lesson, one therapeutist for each pupil. Every pupil (except Shippo, because he was so little he could be carried in therapeutists' arms) was lift to the pool by a pool lift, called 'the swing' in the school. Everyone weared a life vest and arm floats. As Shippo and Inuyasha were the only ones who couldn't move their legs at all, this was never easy for them, especially Inuyasha. He had to float on air mattress, but Shippo again, for being so small, could be held up on the surface by the therapeutist.

Inuyasha smiled on his mattress on his stomach. His therapeutist was holding his wrist and moved it around under the water. Inuyasha smiled a little.

"Feels nice does it?" the therapeutist asked.

"Fwaa-aan!" Shippo shouted suddenly.

"Fun? Did you say fun?" the therapeutist asked.

"Haha!" the little boy laughed.

"You hear that, Inuyasha? Shippo is speaking. Could you maybe do the same?"

For a while it was quiet, until...

"Ghhha..." Inuyasha moaned. The therapeutist tilted her head and smiled.

At the other side of the pool Koga wasn't holding back himself. He howled like a real wolf – which, practically, he was – and swam so the water spattered.

"Slow down, young man! I can't keep up to you for much longer!" his therapeutist laughed out.

The swimming lesson was over, and the pupils were lift off the pool to the shower chairs. And while almost all staff of this school were female and four out of five pupils of this class were boys, they dried, put on diapers and dressed them up, no-one complained about it.

"Come, Inuyasha. Let's get washed up", nurse Chiaki said and carted Inuyasha into the showering room. She was wearing gumboots and a plastic apron. She squirted a huge pile of shampoo on her hand and started rubbing it on his head. Inuyasha smiled and let his ears droop.

"You do have a great hair, young man!" Chiaki praised as she lathered the shampoo.

After Inuyasha's hair had been washed and dried, Chiaki pushed him to the changeroom in his shower chair and parked in text to hs wheelchair and his clothes that were lying in it. First Chiaki put a diaper on him, then his clothes. Then she lift him into his wheelchair. For her it wasn't really hard, as she was sporty and muscular considering how slender and young she was.

Finally she put the blue bandana on Inuyasha's head to cover his dog ears.

"Okay now, Inuyasha", Chiaki said, holding her hand on the boy's shoulder. "What about now?"

Inuyasha seemed a bit tired. He stared at Chiaki with a vacant expression.

"Are you tired?" Chiaki asked. "What if I adjust your wheelchair's back seat down so can rest a bit until your mom comes to get you."

Inuyasha didn't react.


	2. Brotherly Love

Chapter 2 – Family Gathering

Izayoi had been searching for job for a few hours a day to she could take care of Inuyasha every morning and after school. Today she had drove to a department store in the centrum of Tokyo, parking her car in the parking lot underground. She drove by a inva parking lot, stopped for a while to give it a look, but just smiled and drove away. Yes, they had an inva parking mark, of course, but they would never misuse it. Izayoi knew how horrible it was when Inuyasha had to get taken somewhere outside the house, to the hospital for example, and the inva parking lots were full. She knew those places were for people who needed them.

Izayoi took the escalator to the secon floor. She knew where to go, so she got there soon.

A pet store.

"Hello, excuse me..." Izayoi smiled as she stopped at the shop counter. "I was the person who left you a note last that I'd like to get a job here."

"Oh yes, I know you..." the shopkeeper nodded. "You are the woman who wants to work only from 9 AM to 2 PM."

"Yes", Izayoi nodded. "I have a teen-aged son with special needs, I can't work all day..."

"We understand that",the salesperson said. "Well, then. You can show us what you've got by working today. You can go home for your son half an hour before 2 PM. We will let you know if you get the job or not within 1-4 working days by mail."

"Thank you so much!"

Izayoi didn't do much, as it was her first day. Even though as for now it was just cleaning rabbit- guinea pig- and hamster cages from poop, she liked it. Especially the part when she can lift the warm, furry and silky bunny in her arms to a temporary box for the cleaning.

If there was something she Did Not Like was taking care of snakes, crickets and tarantulas. Fishes were in between these two, rodents and insects. But, things had to be done.

Izayoi gave a look at the clock high at the wall. Her working day would be soon over, since it was almost 1:30 PM.

"Eh, excuse me..." Izayoi tapped the salesperson's shoulder. "I should be going. And by the way, how was my first day?"

"You did awesome", the salesperson smiled. "Even as I said we will let you know if you will get the job or not, I can tell you almost 100 per cent you will get it."

So, then off to the parking garage. As she was heading towards her car, she noticed something in the inva lot.

"Why, hello, Shippo!" she said and walked to them. There they were, Shippo, in his colorful wheelchair, and his mom. Both were kitsune youkais, but you couldn't maybe tell they were related. Shippo, though being eight, was size of a baby, but his mom was just normal sized woman. You could tell she was youkai, not a human, just because of a tail and ears like elve's.

Shippo was always cheerful and smiling. Now he clapped his little hands and laughed. Izayoi smiled too and rubbed his brown hair.

Izaoi got in her car and drove out. Iyt didn't take long until Izayoi arrived in front of the school's door. She stepped in and saw Inuyasha in his wheelchair and nurse Chiaki next to him.

"You see? Your mom came just in time", Chiaki chuckled.

"How had the school day been?" Izayoi asked.

"Yup, no problems whatsoever."

"Thank you all. See you tomorrow!" And so Izayoi grabbed Inuyasha's wheelchair's handles and carted him to the car.

"Dad will be home soon. Then we can open the present", Izayoi spoke, like just to herself.

After the car was parked and Inuyasha put in his wheelchair, they headed into the apartment house, took the elevator to floor 5 and opened their apartment's door. She pushed Inuyasha in and took off his outerwear. Then looked at the clock – it's time for epilepsy medicine. She went to the kitchen and opened the medicine cupboard... But all she could find was one, empty bottle of Nitrazepam!

For a while she just though in her mind. She had and idea, but it was so stupid that she was almost sure it wouldn't work. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained...

"Sesshomaru, I have to go get some medicine for Inuyasha from the pharmacy. I could also visit the grocery store for some need for our party. Could you please take care of Inuyasha while I'm gone?"

Sesshomaru stared Izayoi like this was like some kind of a sick joke.

"Are you serious?" the man asked.

"Yes", Izayoi nodded serious. For a while Sesshomaru was quiet, until:

"All right. But hurry up."

"Oh thank you, Sesshomaru!" Izayoi thanked.

"So, what do you think I'm supposed to do?" Sesshsomaru asked calmly.

"Just put a new liquid food bag of Nutrison to drip and adjust the pup. You know what to do."

And so Izayoi left the apartment, leaving Inuyasha and Sesshomaru in the hallway. First it was all quiet, until Inuyasha turned his head towards his big brother.

"Aaanh..." he moaned. Sesshomaru sighed.

"This can't be happening..." the man grabbed the wheelchair's handles and pushed his brother through the apartment to the boy's room. He parked him next to his hospital bed and put the railing down. So he grabbed Inuyasha from his armpits and knees and put him down on the bed.

"I sometimes wonder why your mother complains how she can't move you in and out of bed", Sesshomaru talked, maybe more like himsef. "You weigh barely anything."

"Aaan", Inuyasha moaed. Sesshomaru turned his eyes towards Inuyasha. They looked at each other for a long time. Without a word Sesshomaru walked away from the room to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and looked at it's bottom, where they stored the Nutrison -bags. And what do you know - there was only one bag left. It was just about time for Izayoi to go to the pharmacy.

Sesshomaru took the bag and returned to Inuyasha. The boy followed his brother's move eyes half closed.

Sesshomaru shoke the bag and opened it's cork, hanging it up to the drip stand next to Inuyasha's bed. He connected the tube to the little tube leading to his stomach and started pushing some buttons on the pump and turned at Inuyasha.

"Hhhgaa..." Inuyasha mumbled. Sesshomaru sighed and sat down on the bed's side next to Inuyasha.

"Hm. I believe your life is hard", the man said quietly. "I really do." And he slowly grabbed the boy's hand, rubbing it for a moment. After a while Sesshomaru looked at Inuyasha he saw he had closed his eyes. And so he took a few pillows and put them under Inuyasha's knees. This was someting his father had taught him.

Before leaving Sesshomaru covered Inuyasha. While standing at the doorway he turned at the boy for the last time and said;

"You'd better sleep. So that I can study in peace."

First everything seemed to go just fine. Sesshomaru was reading his thick book in his dark room, enjoying the silence. It would be just a while until Izayoi would be back.

But, even though Inuyasha didn't know it, this evening they would be having a family gathering – for Inuyasha's 15th birthday. December was the month of celebration in this family.

But there was this one fact that really flattened the festive spirit – Inuyasha couldn't enjoy the treats, not even drinks. He had never been able to swallow anything. He was only about a week old when he got a PEG-tuble. Well, maybe it didn't really bother Inuyasha himself, since he didn't know what he missed.

Sesshomaru turned page 218 in his book, when he suddenly started hearing loud pounding.

'Damn those neighbours, renovation again...' he growled in his mind. But no – he sensed the noise was coming from nearby... From Inuyasha's room.

Quickly Sesshomaru ran out of his room and slammed his brother's room door open. The hanyou was doing major spasms on his bed pounding his head on the rail. But Sesshomaru stayed calm – his father had taught how to manage these situations.

So the man moved the dog boy to bed's centre, so that he wouldn't hit his head. Then he turned him on his side and just stood there, following the

situation.

Then Sesshomaru started hearing some noise from the front door. Someone – he knew who – opened the door and came in.

"Hello, boys!" the in-comer, Izayoi, greeted. She was carrying two plastic bags, put them down and walked to Inuyasha's room...

"And how are things going he...?" she started, but after seeing his son spasming, she flinched. "Oh no... Wait a sec, Sesshomaru. I'll be back, I'll just get the medicine."

Sesshomaru stood still, stared at his little brother and sighed.

Soon Izayoi returned with a big, plastic syringe fille with pink fluid in her hand.

"Here you go, some Diapam", she said quietly while she inserted the fluid in Inuyasha's PEG-tube. It started to take effect very fast, and in less than a minute, the spasm stopped.

Izayoi sighed.

"Well, how did things go before this?"

"I put up the Nutrison and the feeding pump on..." Sesshomaru said. "I guess he was asleep before the seizure... It was okay."

"Great", Izayoi smiled. "I'll empty the bags and bake the cakes. Would you like to join me?"

Sesshomaru just looked at his stepmother grimly. And she could interpret it.

"Well, you dont have to."

But Izayoi had just started putting the groceries in the fridge, when she started hearing something like howling from Inuyasha's room. She came to him. He turned his eyes to her with a happy face.

"Would you like to join me emptying the bags and baking?"

"Aaaaan..." Inuyasha gave his fang-baring smile.

This time Izayoi didn't even want to try to lift Inuyasha to his wheelchair. She walked to Sesshomaru's room at once and knocked the door.

"Come in.

Izayoi opened the door and peeked in.

"Please come help me move your brother to his wheelchair."

"Father will be home from work any minute. Couldn't he do it?" Sesshomaru growled.

"Couldn't you bother to do something so little? It's nothing for you."

For a while it was quiet, until Sesshomaru closed his book and sighed.

"All right", he defered.

And so Sesshomaru moved Inuyasha in his wheelchair, and Izayoi tightened the black belts on him. First, two black belts on his torso, then lap, both thighs and legs. Why this many? Because of the spasms. When he has this many belts to keep him still, it wouldn't be dangerous if he gets a one.

"Okay now, birthday boy. Let's get baking!"

Izayoi pushed Inuyasha just next to her in front of the counter.

"First we whip eggs and sugar", she smiled and she whipped the ingredients in a plastic bowl at Inuyasha's level. "Then the flour..."

Soon the batter was put into the oven.

"Let's wait for a little while so that it cooks and cools down."

"Aaaan..."

About eight minutes passed, when Izayoi put on her oven gloves and took the cake out. Being half a dog youkai, Inuyasha could smell the lovely smell of the fresh cake.

"Nnngaah..." the boy smiled and moved his head a little.

First Izayoi looked at the boy with a smile... Until she remembered; he couldn't eat it. It was so sad. But if no, then no.

It didn't take long until the cake was cool enough. Izayoi cut it half as bottom and topping layers, and so the icing could begin. Izayoi got an idea. She took a plastice plate, peeled a banana and put it on the plate.

"Want to mush a banana?" she asked and set it down on Inuyasha's wheelchair's table.

Of course Izayoi knew that Inuyasha couldn't move his hand so much, but she grabbed his wrist and mushed the banana by moving his hand.

"Aaaa..."

"Yes, isn't it fun to bake?"

Next it was time to frost the cake. But this was too much for Inuyasha, so he just looked at his mom first whipping the cream, then spread it on the cake.

Inutaisho's work would be soon over fot today. And he was awaited for at home. Izayoi had just pushed Inuyasha into the livingroom, next to the sofa and lift him up on it.

"I shall clare this to be the last time I have to lift you in and off your wheelchair within this apartment", she smiled and did as she said. She sat next to his son and lift his head on her lap. Inuyasha just lied limp with his eyes half closed.

"Mommy's little honey", Izayoi smiled. But she actually felt small tears in her eyes. She was actually a bit sad. Inuyasha wasn't living a teenage life which he would have deserved.

Someone came in from the front door. Inuyasha's dog ears jumped up.

"That must be dad", Izayoi chuckled.

"Good evening!" Inutaisho's greeting sounded from the hall. A huge clank was heard. "Well, then. Where is everybody?" he asked as he was taking off his outerwear, and walked to the livingroom.

"Hello there, birthday boy", he congratulated the teen boy. "I don't know if you are already sick of this yanking about the secret gift. Well, now it's the time! We'll oven it. I'll go get it... And something else, too."

He returned to the hall and grabbed a huge box. It weighed a ton, but it was nothing for him. But he didn't carry the box to the livingroom – he opened Sesshomaru's room's door and said:

"Join us for opening the gift. Believe me, you will like it too."

For a while Sesshomaru just stared at his father, but finally sighed and followed his father out of the room. He looked at the huge box in front of his door.

"So this is Inuyasha's present. What on earth can that be?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You'll see!"

And so the men of the family arrived into the livingroom. Inutaisho put down the box on floor near the sofa and started opening it. But not with scissors – he could do it with his claws.

And... Ta-dah! The present was opened.

"Look what you got, Inuyasha!" Inutaisho smiled and ruffled his younger son's hair. "So, this is a hoist – even though I've heard you call it 'the swing' at your school."

"With this we don't need to lift you around anymore", Izayoi winked.

"Now Sesshomaru, you do think this is a great gift, too?" Inutaisho asked.

"Absolutely."

"And what about you, Inuyasha?" Izayoi asked.

After a little silence Inuyasha moaned:

"Aaaann..."

"Well now, let's gather around the table and enjoy some cake!" Izayoi announced

As Inutaisho parked Inuyasha in his wheelchair at the table, Izayoi took a Nutrison bag from the fridge and shook it. As she hung it high on a drip stand, she felt so sorry for him, and she wasn't the only one in this room. His father, of course, but, in his head, Sesshomaru, too.

Sesshomaru had never showed it to his father nor stepmother. To no-one else. Only when he was alone with Inuyasha. Only then. Those moments he spoke to him, stroke him and just kept him company. He helped feeding him through the tubes and covered him in his bed. This was a great mystery. No-one could know what would happen if this got revealed. Maybe Sesshomaru would be ashamed. Maybe not. He mind was a great mystery.

"All right", Inutaisho smiled. "Let's sing!"

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Inuyasha, happy birthday to you!" everyone sang. Except Sesshomaru.

"Here you go, honey" Izayoi said and shoved a card with a picture of Piglet from Winnie the Pooh.

"Aaann..." Inuyasha smiled. This made everyone smile. But, again, not Sesshomaru.

Everyone had their slice of cake. It was delicious, and both Sesshomaru and Inutaisho went back for more.

It was getting dark outside. Izayoi was cleaning up the kitchen, Sesshomaru on his own, and Inutaisho in his younger son's room. Now it was time for his teeth to be brushed.

"Now, son, give me a big smile so I can brush your magnificent fangs!" he said smiling. No matter how disabled his son was, he loved him like everyone in his family.

"Aaaann..." Inuyasha mumbled and smiled. But as Inutaisho reached Inuyasha's incisors, he started resisting by closing his mouth a bit.

It took a while to get the teeth brushed. Next it was the time to get his diaper changed. Inutaisho felt a bit uneasy. Not like that – he was okay with this – but what if Inuyasha felt ashamed? Did he know what's going on?

"Now, we'll get to use the swing for the first time", Inutaisho announced as he lift his sone into the hammock-like lift. It left Inuyasha down on his bed. Inutaisho covered him with his blanket smiled.

"Happy birthday, my son."

It was night. Everyone in this apartment was asleep – except Sesshomaru. He had waited for hours. It was almost midnight. Maybe this was a bit wrong timing for this, but...

Sesshomaru walked quietly to his brother's room and closed the room's door as he went in. He slowly walked towars Inuyasha's hospital bed and sat down. He thought he was asleep, but as he sat down on the bed, Inuyasha opened his eyes. Sesshomaru first looked surprised, but sighed. After the room was quiet for a while, Sesshomaru started to sing quietly:

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday...

Sesshomaru went quiet.

"Aaaaa" Inuyasha smiled.

"...Happy birthday, dear Inuyasha... Happy birthday to you."

After the song Sesshomaru stroke Inuyasha's hair, dog ears and foredead. "I will always be there for you. Even though it wouldn't always seem this way."

"Aaaaann."


	3. In the Same School

Now I have had an inspiration writing... But that means it can take a while before the next chapter is published. Thanks for all the 300 views (for me, that is much)!

Chapter 3 – In the Same School

A few weeks from Inuyasha's birthday went by. But something wasn't right – everyone in his family could feel it. First Inuyasha had got just a little less cheerful than usually. Then he stopped letting out any sounds, except his puppy-whimper which started going louder by day.

Then, just one normal morning came, and Inutaisho was standing by his younger son's bed.

"Good morning, Inuyasha", he said smiling, but his son didn't. Inutaisho tried to cheer him up by stroking his dog ear, but no good.

Inutaisho lift Inuyasha up with his hoist, but as the boy started whimpering louder he had ever before, he took him in his arms.

"Is this better?" the man asked, but Inuyasha still seemed clearly in pain. Inutaisho sighed and tried to put his son in his wheelchair as gently as possible. He tilted the wheelchair's back down and pushed his son from his room to the kitchen.

Inutaisho looked at the clock above the door.

"I must get going", he said. "See you later!" He kissed his wife's forehead, pet Inuyasha's head and showed his thumb at Sesshomaru.

It was time to take Inuyasha to school. Izayoi had packed his backpack with one bag of Nutrison and his own feeding pump. She put his blue bandana on his head so it covered his dog ears. He didn't wear the bandana at home, but the teachers in the school had told some small kids at school picked on him because of his ears, so maybe it was better to hide them.

Again, Izayoi could tell something was wrong. As she put on the outwear on her son, he whimpered loud. She stopped for a while.

"Are you feeling sick?" she asked and reached for his forehead. "No fever at least..."

But even without moving an inch, Inuyasha whimpered again.

"I wish you could tell me what's wrong..."

"Good morning!" greeted one school helper who opened the school's door for them. "How are you doing?"

"That is actually what I wanted to tell you about..." Izayoi said, giving a bit sad face at her son. "He has been showing some weird symptoms... He is not himself... He has been a bit less cheerful than he used to."

"Alright", the helper nodded. "What do you want us to do if something bad happens?"

"Call me immediately."

Just like putting his outwear on, taking off was just as painful. Inuyasha whimpered like he was burning in flames.

"There, there, it's okay..."

Inuyasha enjoyed every subject in this school – everybody knew that. He smiled and let out sounds...

But now nothing seemed to cheer him up. One teacher recited his favorite poem. His music therapeutist played him his favorite song with her kantele. But he gave no kind of an answer to any questions the teachers gave him.

Then it was time for the nap, and for Inuyasha, his lunch through the PEG-tube.

His nurse Chiaki came to him with the Nutrison bag and, as always, the syringe of epilepsy medicine. Everything seemed to go just well, until Chiaki pet Inuyasha's hip. Inuyasha let out a louder whimper than ever before and bared his teeth in pain.

"Okay now, who's got Inuyasha's mother's number?"

Izayoi had driven all the way from her work in the department store to Inuyasha's school as fast as she could. She parked her car, slammed its door closed and ran in from the school doors.

Inuyasha was waiting for her in his wheelchair with Chiaki by his side. He looked like a wilting flower with his sad and tired face.

Izayoi walked to him and put her hand on his head.

"What is it?" she asked, stroking his hair.

"As you said, he has been very beside himself... Nothing makes him smile... And then, I just pet his hip and he almost screamed."

Izayoi looked at her son. He just stared stared at nothing with his eyes half closed.

"I'll take him to the hospital", she said and grabbed his wheelchair's handles. "Thank you for calling me."

Tokyo's Childrens Hospital wasn't very far away. Izayoi parked the car close to the emergy room's door. But now she didn't want to do the car-wheelchair moving. She left Inuyasha in the car and walked in from the doors.

"Hello, we need stretchers", she said to a nurse who she first met. "My disabled son is in my car and needs immediate help."

So two pretty young nurses came to her with stretches. As it was cold outside, they had to act quickly. Because Inuyasha whimpered as the nurses unbuckled his seat's belts, Izayoi pleaded;

"Oh, please be careful..."

Inuyasha was rushed inside. There was a racket inside the emergency room. Inuyasha on his stretchers was parked in an empty space surrounded by curtains. He was lift off the stretchers to a hospital bed. He whimpered again. Izayoi got herself a chair and sat by her son. Inuyasha didn't whimper anymore, just laid on his back and stared at the ceiling with his eyes half closed. Izayoi stroke his hand with a sad face.

Soon a nurse came to them. She had a wheelchair with her.

"The doctor is waiting", she said. "Now, young lad, we'll lift you to the wheelchair."

She was pretty strong, too, like Inuyasha's nurse at school. She could lift him up and put down on the chair. And, again, during all movement, Inuyasha whimpered.

"Oh, sorry..." the nurse apologized and strapped Inuyasha to the chair with belts on his chest.

The hospital was huge. But it was very familiar to Inuyasha – they had been here a zillion times; just normal controls and therapies, but also surgeries.

He was very tired. As they walked the corridors and elevators, Inuyasha was limp in his chair, his head hanging back and eyes closed.

"Here we are", the nurse said as they stopped in front of a door with a picture of Bambi on it. The nurse knocked twice, and they heard a man's voice 'come in' from inside.

"Hello there, young lad", this man greeted as Inuyasha was pushed opposite him. "I have read his folders, as I have not treated him before", he said. Inuyasha opened his eyes. The doctor got a bit closed to him and waved hid hand slowly in front of his eyes. No reaction.

"So he is severely brain defect since birth... Epilepsy and bowel malfunctions, Arnold Chiari malformation..." he said, got up from his chair and grabbed Inuyasha from his armpits and knees. He put him down on the examination table. But now Inuyasha didn't whimper – he shouted.

"Okay now, Inuyasha, I'm sorry, but this might hurt a bit..." The doctor started to press around Inuyasha's bony body. Otherwise it was like nothing, until he pressed his left hip and thigh. That made him whimper again.

"Hm. He seems otherwise okay, but it is obvious that there is something wrong with his left hip and whole leg from femur to ankle. I say we'll take an X-ray and a bone density scan from him and then have look at it."

After the painful transfer to his wheelchair, Inuyasha, his mom and the nurse got on their way to the X-ray. This time the way wasn't long, and this room, the X-ray room was very familiar for both Inuyasha and Izayoi. They had been here a numerous times.

Inuyasha was carefully put down on the table in the middle of the room. A cannon of light moved above Inuyasha and lit him from below his waist. A strange voice was heard as the cannon moved slowly and then stopped.

"Now time for the bone density scan", the nurse said. "It's almost the next door."

Again, Inuyasha was put down on a bed-like thing where there was a DEXA-scan above it.

"Now hold still", the nurse who took the scan told.

"Don't worry. He can't move", Izayoi said a bit annoyed. These people should know better, when they see a limp and clearly disabled kid.

The scan took much longer than the X-ray. Inuyasha fell asleep at 8 minutes, and finally at 22 minutes the scan was finished.

"It's a bit sad that we have to wake him up..." the nurse sighed and turned around to get the wheelchair in front of the door.

"Hey, Inuyasha... Time to wake up", Izayoi spoke quietly, holding her hand on his bony chest. She couldn't understand it – they had followed the nutritionists' orders very closely of feeding Inuyasha with his tube, but as a little child, his weight rose very slowly, and at about 10 years of age, started to drop. No matter how many calories per day he was given, he just wouldn't gain weight.

"Okay, now you can return to the doctor."

Inuyasha laid on the examination table. The black and white pictures were hanging against a screen of light on the wall of the doctor's office, and on his computer's screen there was a black and white picture of Inuyasha's whole body, showing mostly his bones. The doctor had been looking at them for a while now, and finally turned towards Izayoi and Inuyasha.

"This is pretty bad", he said. "There is a hip impingement in his left hip, and the femur and both fibula and tibia are broken. He has osteoporosis, very severe type, and seems to be in a lot of pain."

Izayoi looked horrified. "W-what does this mean? What's going to happen?"

"We shall do three surgeries. To relieve his pain, a pain pump, one for his hip and one for the femur, tibia and flbula. As for the osteoporosis, a medication and orthosis' for back, both legs and arms."

Izayoi felt tears coming to her eyes. She sobbed and covered her eyes.

"There, there..." the doctor comforted and gave her a few tissues.

"I-is there no end to this...?" the woman sobbed. "Brain defect, epilepsy, Arnold Chiari malformation, malabsorbtion syndrome... and now, osteoporosis? Why is this happening to my son?"

"Well, the osteoporosis isn't really surprising, because he has problem absorbing calories and nutrients like calcium from food. Also, excercise would help the bones to grow and stay in good shape, but Inuyasha can't move at all... But we will try to give him a strong medication of calcium and vitamin D, and the orthosis' will protect his arms and legs from breaking. Of course, you have to be careful with him. I can't tell how well we can help his bone density to grow, sice it can be that even the medication won't be absorbed."

"And if it doesn't?"

"You just have to live with it. There is no other kind of cure for osteoporosis."

Izayoi burst into tears. The doctor pet her back with a sad face.

Then something quite surprising happened;

"Aaannn..." Inuyasha moaned and looked her mom. Izayoi lift her face from her hands looked back at him. "...Haaa..."

"See? He knows he can do it", the doctor smiled and pet the boy's head.

"As he is in so much pain, we will take him in right away. We will do the pain pump surgery today, and the surgeryíes as soon as possible, maybe tomorrow or the next day", the doctor said when a hospital bed arrived at his office's door. The man took Inuyasha in his arms and lift him on the bed as gently as possible.

"So, the surgical ward?" Izayoi guessed. "Floor 6?"

"Yes", he answered. "As it hasn't even been long since he was there for his scoliosis surgery, the nurses could maybe even remember him. Besides..." he stopped and looked at Inuyasha. "...who could forget a brave young man like him?"

This time Inuyasha was put in room 9, with three beds, one of them empty. Again, Izayoi took her a chair and sat beside her son. She covered him gently and stroke his hand slowly, and starte humming a lullaby:

" _Go to sleep, little one, think of puppied and kittens._

 _Go to sleep, little one, think of butterflies in spring._

 _Go to sleep, little one, think of sunny bright morning.._."

As his mother stopped singing, the boy opened his eyes and stared straight to his mother's eyes. They both stared at each other for a while. Whan Izayoi started stroking his hand again, both smiled.

About half an hour went by..

"Here we go", a nurse, who came in from the door, said. She had a drip stand with her. There was this same kind of purple feeding pump that Inuyasha had, and a bag of Nutrison, which he also had.

"Now it's time for some lunch. Here, we have..."

"We don't need those", Izayoi as she took Inuyasha's own pump and Nutrison from his backpack than hung on the back of her chair. "Of course, I quess we can use yours."

The nurse lift Inuyasha's shirt to reveal the PEG-tube and connected it to the feeding tube. After pressing a few buttons she gave a small smile and turned at Izayoi.

"I heard the surgery will be done this evening, maybe in a few hours. So I put the pump at max speed. We were told to give him 2000 calories for now. We must get his weight up."

Izayoi didn't leave his son's side, even though he was asleep again. She dug her iPhone from her pocket and called her husband Inutaisho.

Beep, beep, beep...

"Hello there, darling", Inutaisho answered the phone. "I was actually about to call you. You are nowhere to be seen. Even Sesshomaru said you haven't returned from work. And what about Inuyasha?"

"Well I... I have really bad news", Izayoi told, sad. "I took Inuyasha to hospital and... He underwent scans... There is an impingement in his left hip and his whole leg from thigh to ankle in broken... And he... He has severe osteoporosis..."

"O...Oh no..." Inutaisho's horrified voice came from the phone.

Sesshomaru walked into the kitchen, where his father stood with the phone against his hear. Inutaisho stared and this older son with a shocked face.

"Put the speaker on", Sesshomaru ordered. First Inutaisho did nothing, but finally nodded and pressed a button.

"Well, what's going to happen?" he asked

"I'm here by him now and in a few hours he will undergo a surgery to put him a pain pump" Izayoi's loud voice echoed in the kitchen. "Then, as soon as possible, he will have the leg surgery. A medication of calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis will be started, and he will be given orthosis' for back, both legs and arms."

For a while no-one said a word. Finally Inutaisho sighed and asked:

"What should we do? Want me to come there?"

"If you wish so. But maybe tomorrow would be better, since the surgery will be over in the evening, and he is very tired..."

"When will you come home?"

"Well, I will be here until he wakes up and maybe a bit after that... But I'll be back there by 8 o' clock."

And finally the time came – two nurses came into the room.

"Hello. We are here to take Inuyasha to the operating theatre", another of them said. "Heh, even though he doesn't even need to be anesthetized, since he is already sound asleep!"

But this didn't amuse Izayoi.

"Ehm, yes..." the nurse cleared her throat. "We will take it from here. Would you like us to call you when the surgery is over so you can come to the recovery room?"

Izayoi nodded and gave the nurses her number. The nurses unlocked the bed's wheels' brakes and pushed the bed out of the room. Izayoi sat still, staring at the room's door, until she could hear the ward's main door open and close.

It hadn't been long since he was here last time. But when he got home back then, she was sure that it would have been the last time he was here. Now, she and the whole family had to go through this hell again. Sometimes Izayoi felt like she couldn't take this anymore. She was considering to go get some threapy. Of course, it was hard for the family's father, Inutaisho... But what about Sesshomaru? No, not him! ...But it was. The parents just didn't know it.

Now Izayoi was sitting in the cafeteria, eating her roll and soda pop. She munched the bread slowly and miserable. She looked around. There were mostly just normal people in normal clothes, but a few in hospital gowns and drip stands by them. And then she saw something different – a young girl, maybe Inuyasha's age, sitting in a wheelchair. It wasn't a special wheelchair with limb supports or straps, just a normal wheelchair. Next to her sat a woman, maybe her mother. Izayoi took her roll and soda in her hands, got up and walked to them.

"Excuse me", she said carefully. "Could I maybe join you?"

"Of course!" the woman smiled. Izayoi sat down and gave a look upon the girl.

"May I ask...cWhat are you here for?" Izayoi asked.

"I'll have brain sugery", the girl asked. "I have severe epilepsy."

"My son is here, too. He's currently in theatre... He also has epilepsy, but that is not the reason he's here."

"What's his name?" the girl asked curiously.

"Inuyasha."

The girl looked surprised.

"YOU are INUYASHA'S mom? Wow!" she said delighted.

"...Do you know him?" Izayoi wondered.

"Oh yes, were in the same school, Saburo. Not in the same class though."

"Then what is your name?" Izayoi asked with a smile.

"I am Kagome, Higurashi Kagome. And this is my mama."

"Yes, Kagome has told some things about Inuyasha... I guess she's got a little crush on him!"

"Mama!"

"But Inuyasha is so... disabled. I don't really see how he could ever be someone's boyfriend..."

Suddenly Izayoi's phone rang. Izayoi answered it and talked for a few seconds. She closed the phone, got up and asked:

"I'll get going, his surgery is over. But before I go, I would like to ask one thing..." she paused for a while. "So, you will be in the same ward as Inuyasha, the surgical ward. Which room?"

"Room 9", mama answered.

"Heh, this means we will get to know each other well", Izayoi smiled. "Inuyasha is in the same room."


	4. Complications

Okay now, note that Kagome's mom's name "Sayoko" nor Inuyasha's family's surname "Fukui" are just made up by me. They are not their real names in anime or manga.

Chapter 4 – Complications

" _Inuyasha..."_ said a voice from somewhere far away. _"Inuyasha, wake up..."_

First Inuyasha tweaked his ears, then opened his eyes slowly. He saw his mother sitting next to him, holding his hand.

"You did it", she smiled. "The pain pump surgery is over."

But Izayoi wasn't the only person at Inuyasha's bedside. Kagome's mom was standing on the other side, looking at the boy.

"Oh, I don't wonder why my daughter likes you!" said her cheerful voice. "You are a very handsome young man!"

Izayoi nodded with a smile and turned her face towards Inuyasha.

Soon, a doctor came into the room.

"Hello there! Nice to see you up, Inuyasha!" he greeted and got closer to his bed. "Okay, so now the pain pump is installed. We will start by giving a small dose of morphine for now. And to let you know, the leg surgery will be tomorrow morning at about 10 o' clock."

"Thank you so much!" Izayoi smiled and bowed.

Izayoi felt bad leaving Inuyasha in the hospital alone like this, but she had to. And, after all, a 15-year-old could be in hospital on his own without a parent beside all the time. But something made things easier...

"Inu-" Izayoi was about to say bye-bye, but noticed he was already asleep. Izayoi pet his chest very gentlly, trying not to wake him up. She gathered her stuff and put her coat and scarf on. On the other side of the room, on the first bed, was Kagome's bed. Her mom sat next to the empty bed space, knitting. Izayoi walked to her.

"Oh dear", she smiled. "During all this hassle, we didn't even get to introduce ourselves! I am Izayo Fukui."

"Sayoko Higurashi", Kagome's mama answered. "Pleased to meet you!"

Izayoi nodded as they shook hands.

"May I ask, why are you still sitting here? Brain surgeries can take a long time so she could be out of recovery and back here maybe tomorrow... I know since Inuyasha has had a few brain surgeries..." Izayoi told.

"I got a call from the theatre almost an hour ago, and they told the surgery is almost over. They'll invite me to the recovery room any minute."

"So I guess we will meet here again tomorrow."

"Yes, I think so."

But something was wrong – Sayoko could feel it. It had been almost an hour and a half since the call. But her phone hadn't rang again. She was getting worried.

There she still sat, in the dark room. She could hear some quiet sounds of moving beds and steps from behind the room's door. Sayoko sighed. Then she heard Inuyasha moan:

"Nnnaaaa..."

Sayoko smiled a bit, got up from the chair and walked to Inuyasha, the bed next to the window.

"Naaah.."

"You sleep at day and stay awake at night, eh?" she said with a little smile. "You should get some more sleep. It's almost 10 o' clock."

The phone rang.

Sayoko ran back to the other side of the room to Kagome's bed. She grabbed the phone from the table and quickly pressed the button.

"Sa-Sayoko Higurashi", she answered. She was so nervous her voice was stammering.

"Well, the... Kagome's surgery is over. But... We have to tell you something about some unfortunate complications there has been..." the voice from the phone explained.

"Please get to the point", Sayoko said with a tense voice.

"Well, the surgery went well for the first hour. But suddenly we found a tumor. A huge tumor. We had to remove it before it starts to spread and kill her."

For a while Sayoko just held the phone with shaking hands. "But... How is she?"

"She is currenty in intensive care", the voice said. "And, we are very sorry about this, but... because the mass of the brain that we had to remove was so big, she will be left with permanent disabilities. And, as for now... She is an induced coma. And because of that, we had to do a tracheostomy, which is breathing tube in her neck."

Sayko burst into tears. "My daugher... My baby... Why?"

"We are so sorry."

Sayoko headed to the intensive care.

"We are sorry to tell but you can't spend the night by your daughter's bedside. We don't accept visitors before 9 o' clock in the morning and after 7 o' clock in the evening", nurse said.

"Could I still get to say goodbye to her?" she asked with a sad face. "Just those few words? Please..."

So she walked through the ward and finally got to her child. She laid on the bed, with nasal cannulas, cords that left to beeping machines, and also a breathing tube on her neck. Again, Sayoko's eyes burst in tears.

"Sleep well, honey", she sobbed while gently stroking the girl's forehead.

The next morning whole Fukui family woke up at the same time, 8 o' clock. Both Izayoi and Inutaisho had decided to have a day off from work. They had decided to go to Inuyasha into the hospital. But only Izayoi would go before the surgery. The men of the family would come after Izayoi calls them and tell when the surgery would be over.

Everyone sat around the kitchen table, eating bread and drinking coffee. Izayoi was very depressed. Inutaisho stared at her while sipping his coffee. Nobody said a word.

"There, there", Inutaisho smiled a little and stroke his wife's shoulder. "This surgery will be nothing compared to what he has gone through in his life. He'll be home in less than a week."

"...But it won't be easy", Izayoi said quietly. "The fixators' pin sites need to be cared and cleaned every morning... He will be in pain... Well, maybe not since he has the pump but..."

"Dear, you are taking this too harshly", Inutaisho said. Then something very surprising happened.

Sesshomaru sipped his coffee, put the mug down and said: "This is nothing like the scoliosis surgery. Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

The parents looked at him with eyes wide. Sesshomaru almost never got into a conversation unless it was about himself.

"Well..." Inutaiso mumbled. "You heard him. So, son. Will you join us to see Inuyasha later today?"

"Yes."

"I will call you when I get to Inuyasha into the ward", Izayoi said as she dressed up in her outerwear.

"We'll be waiting."

Izayoi drove all the way to the Tokyo's Children's Hospital. She took the elevator to the floor six, where the surgical ward was.

Then to the room nine...

But Kagome wasn't there. The first bed place was empty. No sign of her mother either. Izayoi got a bit worried, but sighed and walked to the other side of the room, where Inuyasha's bed was. He was lying on his back and breathing calmly. When he saw him mother, he turned his eyes towards her and smiled.

"Hey there", Izayoi chuckled and sat down on the chair. She ruffled his hair and smiled like him.

And so it was almost 10 o' clock when two nurses and one unfamiliar man came to the room.

"Good morning", the man greeted and shook Izayoi's hand. Inuyasha watched carefully. "I am Yuuda, and I will be your surgeon today. So, in the surgery we will stabilize his broken femur, tibia and fibula, and a joint replacement for his hip. This will be quite long, but not as difficult as the scoliosis surgery he's had."

Izayoi watched slowly as her son was pushed out of the room in his bed. Then she heard a voice from the corridor:

"Aaan..." And the ward's door closed.

Izayoi had brought herself a book to read while Inuyasha was in theatre. She started reading calmly, until she heard a bed coming in from the ward's door. It's rolling wheels came closer and closer, until the room's door opened...

It was Sayoko. She kept the door open as a nurse pushed the bed in... And it was Kagome. There was a monitor following her heart beat and oxygen saturation on her right finger. But she didn't have nasal strips or any other tubes... Except a neck ventilator tube on her throat, which looked really scary. Izayoi stared at this while the bed was stopped in it's place. Sayoko sat down on her chair, in the verge of tears.

"M...may I ask you, what has happened?" Izayoi asked carefully and got closer.

"The...they found a... a... a tumor, a very big one, and it had to be removed... And now she... She could... actually, Will end up something like Inuyasha... For the... For the rest of her life!" And she started crying. Izayoi walked to here and hugged her.

"There there..." she shushed. She couldn't really make up anything good to say. "At least she didn't die."

An hour went by. The machine beeped as Sayoko cried hopelessly. Izayoi took her chair and moved beside Sayoko. The mothers held each others hands. They heard the hissing voice coming from the ventilator as Kagome's chest went up and down.

Another hour went by. Nothing had changed. But Izayoi was getting hungry. She took a look at her clock and asked Sayoko:

"I'll go to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Would you like me to bring you something?"

First Sayoko didn't say anything, just tried to wipe her tears. She took a deep breath and answered:

"That would be nice." She took her wallet out from her bag and handed it towards Izayoi.

"Please, let me pay", Izayoi said and pushed the wallet back. Sayoko gave her a one-second, little smile.

Izayoi was standing in the line towards the checkout. She wanted to cheer Sayoko up as much as possible by getting her a frappuccino and a piece of cream cake with strawberries on. For herself, she took a normal take away coffee and a croissant.

"Knock knock", Izayoi said with a fake smile as she entered room nine. Sayoko was stroking her daughter's hair.

"Here you go", Izayoi gave her the cake slice and frappuccino. This made her smile a bit.

"Thank you..." she thanked and took a sip. The mothers in the room kept sipping their coffees quietly. And when the cake and croissant were finished, Sayoko left out a big sigh and rubbed her eyebrow.

"I want to ask something", she said.

"Go on."

"Now that my sweetheart will be like... like Inuyasha, no offence, but... how is it like to have a child so severely disabled? How is it like to feed him, change diapers, bathing, changing clothes...?"

"Well, I'd actually say it's not that hard for me. Sometimes I feel more like is Inuyasha happy, or suffering. Our family is doing everything we can to give him a happy life, but since there's no way for him to tell us, we can only guess. But there is one thing that maybe makes Kagome's situation worse..."

"What is it?"

"You see, Inuyasha has never moved, walked or eaten, so he doesn't know what he's missing. But Kagome has liven pretty normal life, and now everything will be lost. Of course, we don't know how severely disabled she'll be, but if the worst comes to worst, she would be paralyzed and won't be able to eat and speak..."

A doctor came in. He had some folders in his hands.

"Hello, mrs. Higurashi. I am Kagome's doctor, and I have good and bad news."

"Good news first", she said.

"Her Intacranial pressure has got lower, so we can stop giving her medication that causes the coma. We assume she will wake up within hours to weeks. Then the bad news. As almost 1/6 of her brain was removed, she is now severely disabled. She has lost her faculty of speech and motility.

Again, Sayoko bursted in tears, and leaned to Izayoi.

"We are very sorry. We did all we could."

About an hour went by. The only sounds in room nine were the ventilator hissing and machine's beeping. The mothers just sat side by side next to Kagome.

Until suddenly:

Inuyasha's bed was brought inside. Izayoi got up and grabbed her chair.

"Mind if...?" she asked before leaving Sayoko side.

"Of course not."

Izayoi placed her chair next to Inuyasha and placed her hand on his chest. He opened his eyes.

"Are you in pain?" she asked. Just a few seconds after that, a nurse came into the room.

"Here you go, some morphine for your pain pump."

Izayoi had just grabbed her iPhone and called Inutaisho.

"Hello?" said his voice from the phone. He had turned speaker on as Sesshomaru had told him so.

"Okay now. The surgery is over, Inuyasha is awake and back in the ward."

"We'll be there", Inutaisho said, turning at Sesshomaru, who was standing right next to him. "Right, son?"

"Yes."

As the duo, father and elder son, were putting on their outerwear, Inutaisho told Sesshomaru:

"Listen, son... I have been noticing something... something different about you since Inuyasha's scoliosis surgery."

Sesshomaru gave no answer.

"You have been more helpful taking part in taking care of Inuyasha... You have started to speak more than before... You don't just sit in your room and study..."

"And?"

"Well... Yeah, okay, maybe it's just me."

From the outside Sesshomaru kept his calm face, but inside, he felt a bit uneasy.

Sesshomaru opened their apartment's door, his father coming behind him. But right before Sesshomaru closed the door, he could hear his father say:

"It's like your heart is starting to come alive."

Like usually, when visiting someone dear to you was in hospital, you bring them something to cheer them up. But what would cheer Inuyasha? He couldn't eat candy or drink soda. Maybe a card?

And so, they headed to the hospital's cafe. Next to it was a small kiosk. Inutaisho bought a card with a picture of Thumper from Bambi. He wrote it it: "Get Well Soon, dear Inuyasha. Dad, Sesshomaru..." Of course, they left some space for Izayoi to sign it, too.

Then they took the elevator to the floor six. They stepped in from the ward's doors. Inutaisho was walking in front of Sesshomaru. He looked around.

"...What was his room number again...?"

"Nine", Sesshomaru answered. Inutaisho looked over his shoulder and nodded with a smile.

There it was – room number nine. Inutaisho stopped right in front of the door and took a deep breath.

"Pull yourself together. It's not like there is someone dying", Sesshomaru sighed. And so they opened the door...

But as the first bed was Kagome's, she was the first thing they saw. They both stared at the girl in her respirator, until Inutaisho turned towards Sesshomaru and whispered in his ear:

"No-one dying, huh?" But then, turned towards the other side of the room, to the bed next to the window. They walked there saw them: Inuyasha lying in his bed on his back, and Izayoi by his side, rubbing his dog ear. And when he saw his dad and big brother, Inuyasha gave a huge smile, baring his fangs.

"Hey there, buddy..." Inutaisho smiled and gave the card and a pencil to his wife. She took it, read and wrote "mom" in it.

"Sesshomaru, would you please get a chair for both me and you?" Inutaisho asked. Sesshomaru nodded and walked out of the room.

"Wait just a little", Inutaisho told Izayoi and walked towards Kagome. He was really shocked seeing her, but... there was something familiar in her.

"Hello, my name is Inutaisho Fukui, Inuyasha's father."

"Sayoko Higurashi, Kagome's mother, nice to meet you."

"I knew it! This girl is Kagome!"

"...Do we know you?"

"Well, sort of. I have recieved some notes from the school these two are in, that during recesses Kagome sometimes comes to Inuyasha and just talks to him like to any other, er, normal person, and holds his hand."

Sayoko turned her face to her daughter.

"That is so sweet", she mumbled quietly.

"Here", said Sesshomaru, who just brough two chairs into the room. He put them down around his brother's bed. He and Inutaisho sat down.

"We haven't seen your leg yet. Want to have a look?" Izayoi.

As expected, Inuyasha didn't answer any way. But still, Izayoi grabbed the blanket and revealed her son's lower body. And the leg looked absolutely horrible. On the thigh, there were three thick metal spikes that had been drilled into the bone. A black bar held the spikes together. And the leg had two metal rings around it, and, like in the thigh, there were also spikes going into his leg. All spike roots were covered with white cotton pads.

"...Are they sure he is in no pain?" Izayoi asked a bit worried.

"Don't worry, there is no way he'd have any pain with the pain pump."

Suddenly:

"Mmma...mma..."


	5. Melting Heart

Chapter 5 – Melting Heart

First, no-one else in the room nine couldn't believe what they just heard.

"Mmm...ma..." Kagome mumbled again.

"Kagome!" Sayoko shouted out and grabbed her daughter's hand. "I'm here, honey..."

Both Inutaisho and Izayoi had joined the Higurashi duo, but Sesshomaru didn't care. He looked at them over his shoulder, turned back towards his little brother and sighed quiet and pulled the curtain that separated Inuyasha's bed from the next bed. Now he was sure that they couldn't see them. He turned at Inuyasha, placed his hand on his chest and held it there.

"I think we should call a nurse", Izayoi suggested. And so Sayoko pressed the red button on the nightstand. As this was no ICU, the nurses didn't run to them. But still it didn't take long before they came.

"Hi there, we... Wait. Is Kagome awake?" the nurse wondered.

"And she spoke!" Sayoko smiled. "But... Actually..." and she became a bit sad again. "...Actually it was just mumbling."

"Anyway, I will get the doctor. Just a minute."

All the three adults stood around the girl's bed, quiet. Izayoi looket at Inutaisho, they nodded, and he turned back towards his son's bed. He pulled the curtain out of his way...

And so he saw Sesshomaru holding his hand on Inuyasha's chest. Instantly, when Sesshomaru noticed him, he drew his hand back, saying nothing. The older man chuckled and shook his head, his eyes closed.

"I knew there is something going on with you. Are your brotherly instincts awaking?"

A doctor came in. Now both Inutaisho and Sesshomaru gave a look upon Kagome's bed.

"So, you are awake, Kagome", the doctor smiled. "You were very fast. Sometimes waking up from an induced coma takes from days to weeks. Now, let's see about how big are your damages are."

Kagome gave no answer.

"Could you say something to me? Or perhaps to your mom?"

"That would make me very happy, honey."

But Kagome just stared at them, and closed her eyes half. Sayoko gave a questioning look at the doctor.

"Well, this was to be expected... She has lost her faculty of speech. Maybe not 100%, she may be able to say some easy words, as she just called out for you as "mama", the doctor told, looking at Sayoko. The woman was so shocked she held her hands in front of her mouth. And they were shaking.

"Then lets see... Show me, Kagome, how you move yourself. You can shake your head, lift your leg..." and he reached his hand towards the girl. "...what if you'd shake my hand?"

"Nnnaan..." But that wasn't Kagome. Everyone in the room turned at Inuyasha. This made others smile.

"Did you hear that? Could you do like Inuyasha and say something?"

Kagome didn't say anything. But, to surprise everyone, she moved her right hand. She placed it on her mom's lap.

"Kagome..." Sayoko said with tears in her eyes. "You can move... You really can move..."

"But it seems like only hands", the doctor told. "Because the surgery was big, complications harsh, Kagome will stay here for a while. She will be given physiotheraphy daily. And we will find her an appropriate wheelchair. And, as for the respirator, I think she won't need it. We'll remove it today."

Sayoko nodded, took a deep breath, trying to smile a bit.

"Would you like a wheelchair as cool as Inuyasha's?" she asked, with finally a little humor in her voice.

The Fukui family's men left a few hours after Kagome's waking up. But Izayoi wanted to stay by her son. Taking off Kagome's respirator had been started about the same time as Inutaisho and Sesshomaru left. Everything had gone well, and finally, at around eight PM she was breathing on her own.

Inuyasha's bed's back had been turned up, so now he was sitting. Izayoi had visited the ward's playroom, and found a Thumper stuffed toy. She took it to Inuyasha.

"Who is this? You've got a toy like this at home", Izayoi smiled and put it down on Inuyasha's lap.

"Nnnnahh... Haaaa..." he smiled with his fangs bared.

Izayoi placed the bunny toy on his lap and moved his hands on it.

"My little smileyboy", she chuckled, ruffled his hair, and finally kissed his forehead.

Kagome was asleep, and so Sayoko grabbed her chair, about to move to Inuyasha. But before she got there, Izayoi said;

"You don't need the chair. We have two empty ones here."

Sayoko nodded, put the chair back, and sat at Inuyasha's bedside. Inuyasha wasn't sleeping. He turned his head towards Sayoko.

"Haaaa..." he mumbled with a smile. Sayoko smiled back.

"I have some questions for you", she said, looking at Izayoi.

"Well?"

"As it seems... Kagome will never be her own self..." Sayoko mumbled, sad. "What is it like to take care of a teen who needs to be treated like a baby?"

"Well it's... I haven't raised a normal child, so I don't know any better. But it is hard sometimes. Maybe the hardest parts are changing diapers and washing him. Not because I think it's arduous, but because I think how Inuyasha is feeling. Is he uneasy of embarrassed... But, of course, it can be he doesn't understand anything... Actually, I don't even know which is better..."

"How about feeding?"

"Again, I have never even put a spoon in his mouth, not even as a baby, because he can't swallow anything. He has had a PEG-tube since one week old. I'd say it's even easier feeding him by feeding tube than by hand. I just have to contact Inuyasha's tube into a bag of Nutrison. Then just push a few buttons on his feeding pump and that's it."

"I don't know yet if Kagome will be able to swallow or not..."

"I would be happy if Inuyasha could swallow, but actually almost just so that he could enjoy the taste of food."

"Don't get me wrong but... How come he is so thin?" Sayoko asked, looking at the hanyou boy breathing slowly. He was staring at the bunny in his arms, smiling.

"We don't really know... He Is diagnosed with bowel malfunction... But he is given almost 2800 calories a day, and even he doesn't move an inch, he doesn't gain weight..."

A nurse came in. She had a drip stand with her, and in it was hanging a Nutrison bag.

"As you were speaking of Inuyasha's nutrition..." she said, placed the stand right next to Inuyasha. She pulled Inuyasha's shirt up and connected the feeding tube to the PEG-tube. A few beeps were heard as she pressed a few buttons on the pretty small, purple machine on the drip stand.

"When will we see if Kagome be able to eat?" Sayoko asked the nurse.

"Tomorrow when the doctor's round's will take place. A doctor will come and see about her."

It was a bit over 9 PM, and both mothers were about to leave. Kagome slept, but Inuyasha just stared at his mother as she lowered the bed's back to horizontal plane. She stroke his hair between his dog ears, kissed his forehead and covered him.

"I will be here tomorrow", she said and turned towards the room's door. "But as she reaced Kagome and her mom, he heard Inuyasha moan:

"Haa...aaaannn..."

But, unlike Sayoko thought, Izayoi didn't turn back or say anything to her son. As Izayoi was about to exit the room, Sayoko stopped her:

"... Aren't you going to him? He has something to say. He's missing you."

"This must sound a bit cruel, but it is something you must also learn when caring of Kagome."

Sayoko listened carefully.

"You must not give her all the attention she seeks. Even though everyone thinks we parents of severely disabled kids "treat our disabled children like babies", it isn't like that. Inuyasha and Kagome still are teenagers, not toddlers. You must not go all too easy on her. Do not over-pamper her. Of course, I do give Inuyasha more attention and care than a normal teenager would need, but there is a border you mustn't cross."

"I see..." Sayoko nodded. Izayoi lift her hand as parting and left.

"Aaa...aann..." Inuyasha moaned. But even Sayoko found it almost heartbreaking not to go comfort him. But it wasn't her job. And this was her first time to not to give excessive attention.

Inuyasha kept moaning guietly as Sayoko was putting up her coat. As she put on her hat she took a final look at Inuyasha.

"Try to sleep, young man", she smiled. "Tomorrow will be a happier day."

"Hello, I'm back!" shouted Izayoi as she had stepped in from the front door of their apartment. But no-one replied. Izayoi peeked into the living room, but it was empty. But just as she had taken off her hat...

"How is he?" That was Sesshomaru. Izayoi turned her eyes to him with a very confused expression. That didn't sound like Sesshomaru, hell no!

"He... He's fine", Izayoi nodded. "But where is your father?"

"He's in the shower."

As Izayoi took off her coat and shoes, she heard Sesshomaru shout from the kitchen:

"Would you wan't some coffee, too?"

For a while Izayoi remained silent. What on on earth has gone in Sesshomaru? Well, it was only good.

"Yes, please", she said with a smile.

The bathroom's door opened, and Inutaisho walked out, a white towel around his waist.

"Oh, you're back!" the man smiled. "It's nice you have made new friends at the hospital."

"Yes, mrs. Higurashi is very friendly", she nodded. "While, of course, it is very sad what she and Kagome are going through, helping them out feels good."

"What do you say, should we invite them here for a visit after the kids get out of the hospital?" Inutaisho suggested, raising his eyebrow.

"What a great idea!" Izayoi smiled. "The doctor said Inuyasha will be out in about four days. But Kagome will be staying longer, mostly because of tests and physiotherapy."

"Will you go to Inuyasha tomorrow?" Inutaisho asked.

"I think I will go to work normally, and go to him at about 2 PM when my shift ends."

Sesshomaru, who was drinking his eucalyptus tea in the kitchen, heard this.

"My day ends at 3 PM. I guess I'd come too.

Morning came. The Fukui family woke all up at 7 AM. Inutaisho was first to go. And what was his job? He was a youth leader. He had a great sense of humor and was very sympathic and street credible. He was mostly working with kids with special needs. That was how he had met Kagome before, since sometimes he was working in that school.

As Izayoi was brushing her long, strong hair, Sesshomaru changed his clothes to something more casual. He put on blue jeans and his favourite white T-shirt with a black Adidas logo on it. He would be out today.

"Bye, Sesshomaru!" Izayoi shouted from the hallway and slammed the door shut. For a moment Sesshomaru just sat still in the kitchen, staring at the door. Then he got up and went to Inuyasha's room. He stopped next to the bed and started looking at the end of the bed, which was filled with countless stuffed toys. There was the Thumper toy that Izayoi had mentioned before, but, there was one toy Sesshomaru was looking for. And it was easy to find, because it was pretty big – a papou-fruit plush. It was a big, yellow star, with a few green leaves. This was Inuyasha's favourite toy. He knew it.

The family had two cars – and now, when both parents were gone with the cars, Sesshomaru had to take the bus to the Chidren's Hospital. He had put the plush in a back pack, and was now sitting in the bus.

It was still dark outside. Countless cars and people went by as Sesshomaru stared out of the window. He was also a bit abashed about what had gone into him – he was getting more caring of his little brother. Well, it wasn' like it had happened just in a few months, but a few years. Maybe it was just because he himself had finally grown up into an adult man. Maybe his heart had just melted and opened to people around him. He Was getting more polite towards Izayoi and had started talking to others than only his father.

The bus stopped almost right in front of the hospital. Sesshomaru walked in and started heading towards surgical ward six, room nine.

The room was still a bit shadowy. In the first bed, Kagome was fast asleep. Sesshomaru stared at her for a while, then walked to the last bed.

Inuyasha was awake. When Sesshomaru stopped by Inuyasha's bed, the boy turned his eyes at him, and a huge smile spread on his face.

"Nnnnaaa..." Inuyasha moaned as Sesshomaru took his coat and hat on, hanging them in the room's shared coat hanger. He returned to Inuyasha and sat down.

"I'm here", Sesshomaru said with a maybe "blank" voice. The brothers stared at each other. Inuyasha was smiling like the sun with his fangs bared, and finally a little smile came to Sesshomaru's face. He placed his hand on the boy's head for a few seconds.

"Good morning!" greeted a female nurse who just came in. She had a bag of Nutrison with her. "Here comes breakfast."

And it went like always – shirt up, PEG- and feeding tube connected, pump on, and that's it.

Before the nurse left, Sesshomaru turned at her.

"I was wondering, could I go for a little ride in the cafe and the hospital's main playroom with Inuyasha after the feeding is finished? I think he'd enjoy seeing something else than just this room."

"Of course."

Time went by. It was quiet. All Sesshomaru could hear was the silent beeping of the feeding pump. He tapped his finger against the nightstand in it's beat, staring out of the window. Outside it was snowing gently, still pitch-dark. But as Sesshomaru turned his eyes to his little brtoher, he saw him twitching his dog ears in the same beat as Sesshomaru tapped his finger. The man raised his eyebrow. He stopped tapping. Inuyasha stopped twitching his ears. He tapped two times again. The boy twitched twice.

This made Sesshomaru smile a bit. He turned the bed's back into sitting position. He lift his hand in front of Inuyasha's face and waved it from left to right. Inuyasha followed the hand carefully. Sesshomaru squeezed the fist and opened it.

"Nnnnaaa..." Inuyasha smiled baring his fangs.

Suddenly the pump started beeping louder. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both turned their eyes towards the pump. This meant the food was all gone – Sesshomaru knew it.

"I'll get the nurse", Sesshomaru told Inuyasha, without even giving a look upon him as he stood up.

"You are free to go anywhere you like in the hospital, except, of course, other wards or outside", the nurse said as she was disconnecting the feeding tubes.

"Yes, I am not stupid", Sesshomaru said with a cold voice.

And so Sesshomaru stopped Inuyasha's wheelchair next to the bed, took him in his arms and placed him in it. He strapped his torso, lap, thigh and leg straps and grabbed the handles.

"Right. Let's go."

As Sesshomaru pushed his brother trough the ward's corridor, Inuyasha rolled his head slowly from left to ride, smiling with his mouth open.

They went into the elevator. The doors closed. Inuyasha was moaning quietly. Sesshomaru stared at him. But then... He bent over Inuyasha's wheelchair from behind and wrapped his arms gently around the boy. Inuyasha just smiled.

"Hhaaann..."

The ground floor. The cafeteria wouldn't be far away. And even if Sesshomaru didn't know where it was, he could find the way with his keen sense on smell.

The duo joined the line. Sessomaru looked at those countless pastries, rolls and ice cream cones in the glass cabinet. After turning turning his eyes at his brother, who stared at him with blank eyes, the man said;

"Sorry, nothing for you."

Sesshomaru sipped his Pepsi slowly, not letting his eyes off Inuyasha. The boy seemed a bit tired. He turned his face to Sesshomaru. He had his puppydog eyes. They were pretty rare on Inuyasha's face.

"Listen. It isn't my choice that you can't eat. It isn't my choice that you are even that way."

"Aaannnhh..."

"But, of course... It's more like that is isn't YOUR choice being that way", Sesshomaru said quiet.

So they returned the ward, room nine. Kagome was still asleep. What a sleepyhead, thought Sesshomaru. He pushed Inuyasha beside his bed and lift him back in his bed.

Then nothing. Inuyasha was clearly trying to get some sleep. His bed was now horizontal position, and he kept his eyes shut.

But just after Sesshomaru had covered his brother, someone came in.

Oh shit! It was Sayoko, Kagome's mother!

Sesshomaru just stared at her with a poisonous face. He was insanely embarrassed.

"Oh, Sesshomaru!" she greeted with a smile. "How nice to see you here!"

 _'Sorry, I can't tell you the same'_ , Sesshomaru told in his head.

"Where is Izayoi?" she asked.

"Not here."

"You mean, you are here with Inuyasha alone? Just you?"

"Yes."

"Well that is interesting..." Sayoko wondered. "I have talked with your mom about yo-"

" _She_ is _not_ my mother!" Sesshomaru interrupted with a bit loud voice. Sayoko almost got starteled.

"Oh, sorry. I... I thought you think of her as your mother..."

"I don't. As you were saying?"

"Yes, eh... She said you and Inuyasha don't get along. That you are embarrassed of him and don't care."

"That is not true", Sesshomaru said, got up from his chair, put his coat on and walked out of the room. Both Inuyasha and Sayoko stared after him for a while. When he was gone, Sayoko sighed and turned at Inuyasha, who closed his eyes.


	6. Secret Revealed

Chapter 6 – Secret Revealed

As Sesshomaru walked the ward's corridor, he was growling inside. He had just grabbed the ward's door's handle, when he saw the clock above it – almost 2 PM! Izayoi would be here any minute!

Sesshomaru rushed out of the ward, but didn't take the elevator. Just in case. If he had such a bad luck that Izayoi was already on her way here, she would of course take the elevator – who the hell would be so crazy to walk six floors if there was an elevator? Well, Sesshomaru started walking down the stairs. But he had a feeling that he had frogot something. But what? Ah, if he didn't remember it, it could'nt be so important.

Before Sesshomaru walked to the lobby, he looked around carefully. He couldn't see her, so he just went through and out of the doors.

Sesshomaru was almost at the bus stop, when he suddenly saw the car. THAT car. The car Izayoi used. He could tell it from not just color, but also the license plate. He sighed of relief – he made it out just in time... But then he remembered it! The backpack! With the plush toy in it! He had not only forgot to give it to Inuyasha, but even take the plush out of the backpack, which he had left beside Inuyasha's bed. And there's no way Izayoi wouldn't recognize it! And since Inutaisho was at work... The only person who could have brought it to him was Sesshomaru, of course.

But what could he do? Well, he just stepped into the bus and sat down. He didn't even bother starting to make up excuses of how the toy got there. He sighed. He was dead meat.

Now Sesshomaru was standing behind his apartment's door. He opened it and stepped in. He took his coat and shoes off...

"And where were you, my son?" That was Inutaisho, leaning against the kitchen's doorway with a cheeky face with his eyebrow up. "Don't tell me you were in the library?"

"I wouldn't", Sesshomaru answered coldly as he passed his father to the kitchen.

"But do tell me", Inutaisho said with a finally normal face. "Seriously."

"Shut up. Do you want coffee?"

"...Oh, I know! You have a girlfriend!"

"I said; _Shut Up_!"

"I remember the girl who was in the junior high school as you, who had more or less a small crush on you... Who was she again... Was she Kagura?"

"That's it. That's it! I am out of here. Have your coffee." And Sesshomaru walked out if the kitchen. Inutaisho heard a door slammed shut. For a while he just stared at the doorway. He sighed first, but suddenly a smile came to face. He got an idea about what was going on.

"I'll go to see Inuyasha!" Inutaisho shouted from the hallway. "You could come too, right?"

"No."

Now the smile on Inutaisho's face faded. He was getting a bit frustrated about this. This clear acting. He marched to Sesshomaru's room.

"Please stop this. I know what's, shall I say _'wrong'_ , with you. You are starting to become like a real big brother should. But don't get me wrong - that's only good. Actually, I would be Very proud of you if this is the case."

The son and father stared at each other.

"...Right. I'll come", Sesshomaru said, got up from his chair and walked to the hallway before his father.

As the duo got into the black car, Inutaisho took the driver's wheel and started the car. Sesshomaru started out of the window, trying to evade his father's face.

"Listen. I actually do understand that you didn't like Inuyasha while you were a teen and he was a toddler. I know. It was because he is a hanyou. And not just that. He is severely disabled. I understand... Or more like _understood_. As an adult now you should be able to put up with hanoys and disabled people. And now I have started seeing some feelings between you two."

"Don't make it any harder on me, please", Sesshomaru said coldly.

"If there's _Someone_ making things harder in this situation, it's You! I'm really getting fed up with your acting! I am not quite sure if Izayoi knows it, but I do. I am not an idiot. I know you really like, no, you _love_ your little brother. Do not even bother to protest."

Now Sesshomaru strared at his father, who didn't look back, since he had to look at the road. But Sesshomaru could see he's really angry. He could see it from his face.

"We're here, son", Inutaisho said with a cold tune in his voice. Now he looked and sounded like Sesshomaru. He was so riled up. Both slammed the doors shut and walked towards the hospital doors. The elevator, ward six, room nine. And they faced a nice sight.

Inuyasha was sitting in his wheelchair. And beside him was Kagome, sitting in her brand new wheelhair. It was otherwise black, but it's wheels had pictures of autumn styled and colored maple leaves. But she didn't have as many straps as Inuyasha. She had only torso straps.

The teens in their wheelchairs were put side by side. Izayoi placed her son's hand on Kagome's wheelchair's hand rest. Kagome smiled and slowly moved her shaking hand on the boy's hand by herself. She could move her hands. When she tightened her hand around his wrist, Inuyasha smiled a little.

"So, Kagome's up", Inutaisho nodded with a happy face.

"Yes, finally", Sayoko smiled.

And while the parents kept talking, Sesshomaru sneaked to Inuyasha's bed and started looking for his black backpack. It wasn't hard to find, since it was in between the bed and night stand, hiding in the shadows. As it was still where he had left it, that meant Izayoi hadn't found it. Quickly Sesshomaru took it and pushed it deep under the bed. Now all he could do was to pray the bed wouldn't be moved. The plan was that he would come here alone as soon as possible, get the backpack and take it home. Now he tried to gather himself and walked to others.

"Nnnnnaa..." Inuyasha smiled as Sesshomaru appeared in front of his wheelchair. They stared at each other.

"What would you say that now the kids are no longer bedbound, we could take a trip to the main playroom and café?" Izayoi suggested. The moms looked at each other, then nodded.

"Let's go."

"So, Sayoko. Do you know yet can Kagome swallow or not?" Inutaisho asked while they all were in the elevator towards the ground floor.

"Oh, yes", Sayoko nodded and pet her daughter's shoulder. "There's no problem. She can swallow all normally, but she has to be fed, since she can't move her hands enough to eat by herself."

"I am so glad for you", Izayoi smiled with her eyes closed.

Inutaisho had voluteered to pay for the ladies' cakes. The moms took both slices of cream cake, Sesshomaru took a vanilla milkshake, while Inutaisho took a donut and an espresso.

While the father sipped his espresso, he gave a look upon his younger son, and sighed. Inuyasha wasn't looking at him – he was staring at Kagome. She was just being fed by her mom. It was a waffle with jam and whipped cream. Sayoko cut the waffle in small pieces and reached it to Kagome's mouth. Inutaisho sighed.

"Listen, son", he said and placed his sturdy hand on Inuyasha's head between his dog ears. "I know I can't say it will be alright... That some day you will taste the food in your mouth... But nobody can help it..."

Inutaisho's face turned very sad. He buried his face in his hand and took a deep breath. Everyone looked at him; the moms, Kagome and Inuyasha. Then...

"Haaannn... Nnnaannn..." Inuyasha mumbled with a small smile. Inutaisho lift his face from his hands and looked at his son straight in his eyes. Inuyasha tweaked his ears..

Now a grin grew on Inutaisho's face. He ruffled the boy's hair.

"We're all here for you", Izayoi said and stroke her son's soulder.

Then, something happened...

Sesshomaru moved next to Izayoi, so he could reach Inuyasha. And so, he pet the boy's bony chest. Izayoi looked absolutely astounded, but Inutaisho only nodded with a smile, his eyes closed.

This tender moment lasted for a while. Finally it was time to return to the ward. But there was someone in the room. The third patient? No. It was the cleaner. She was just mopping the floor next to Inuyasha's bed.

"Erm, excuse me..." Inutaisho said. "Did you just start?"

"No, no, I'm actually finished..." the cleaner smiled. "...but, just to let you know, I found something strange from under the bed. Something that shouldn't be there..."

Shit. The backpack. And just after Sesshomaru thought this day couldn't be worse.

The cleaner handed over the backpack as she left. The parents looked at it, then Sesshomaru. Inutaisho grinned as Izayoi opened it.

"Aaaw, isn't this sweet!" Izayoi smiled like the sun. "You brought him his favorite toy!"

 _'Shut up'_ , Sesshomaru thought in his head with an uneasy face.

"He was here all morning", they heard Sayoko say from behind the curtain.

 _'Shut UP!'_

"He even told me that it's not true that he doesn't like Inuyasha. That he really cares for him."

 _'Shut up! Shut Up! SHUT UP!'_

Sesshomaru thought it was the best to leave the room. So he marched out and slammed the door shut. The adults were quiet... Until they tooked at each other, smiled, and finally guffawed a bit.

"Haawn..." the hanyou boy grinned.

"Hehe, even Inuyasha knows what's going on here between him and his big brother!" Inutaisho smiled.

Okay, this was quite a short chapter. But I'm having major problems writing.


End file.
